The Denver Nuggets have traded All-Star guard Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess, a league executive with knowledge of the talks said.

Pistons center Cheick Samb also will go to Denver to make the salaries match in the trade.

Billups helped guide the Pistons to the Eastern Conference finals during each of his previous six seasons in Detroit. He grew up in Denver and played 58 games for the Nuggets over two seasons from 1998-2000.

McDyess has had two previous stints with the Nuggets, and he began his career with them in 1995.

Iverson was traded to Denver in December 2006 but was not able to help Carmelo Anthony lift the Nuggets out of the first round of the playoffs in his two seasons there.

The trade gives the Pistons salary-cap flexibility at the end of the season. Iverson’s contract, which pays him $21.9 million this season, expires in July.

Billups is owed $36.3 million over the next three seasons and has an additional $14.2 million team option for 2011-12. McDyess will make $6.8 million each of the next two seasons.

Wow...should be interesting. Joe D does it again.

If they let Allen I. go at the end of the season then maybe he plans on doing some major reshuffling in the next year or 2. Clean house in 09 and go shopping in 10?

Offseason of 2010 is not just the Summer of LeBron: It's also the Summer of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Ray Allen, Tyson Chandler, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Joe Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Redd, each of whom can become an unrestricted free agent in 2010.

_________________Regards, Alpha|Lionbacker.com \(^o^)/"I date this girl for two years and then the nagging starts: I wanna know your name..." - Mike Binder

November 3rd, 2008, 4:51 pm

Pablo

RIP Killer

Joined: August 6th, 2004, 9:21 amPosts: 9589Location: Dallas

Very interesting trade. I'm guessing it is not a move really for Iverson, but for one of those FA's available the next few years - like Chris Bosh. Especially if Rasheeds days are also numbered - clearing up even more $.

He is showing a lot of faith in Stuckey who has to really develop into a pure point guard now. Without McDyess, Maxiell and Johnson should get more PT.

A very proactive move by a GM who has been proven right more often than not. It is because of Joe D that I like this move, he is thinking a few steps ahead of just the players involved in this trade.

They will add to a base of Hamilton, Prince, Stuckey, Maxiell, Johnson. GO STONES!

Very interesting trade. I'm guessing it is not a move really for Iverson, but for one of those FA's available the next few years - like Chris Bosh. Especially if Rasheeds days are also numbered - clearing up even more $.

He is showing a lot of faith in Stuckey who has to really develop into a pure point guard now. Without McDyess, Maxiell and Johnson should get more PT.

A very proactive move by a GM who has been proven right more often than not. It is because of Joe D that I like this move, he is thinking a few steps ahead of just the players involved in this trade.

They will add to a base of Hamilton, Prince, Stuckey, Maxiell, Johnson. GO STONES!

A caller on 97.1 made the proposition for Marion... Whomever it is... It should be an interesting off-season. Any young superstar that we can add to this already good core of players would be HUGE...

Oh... As if it needs to be said... I LOVE this trade, as eveyone knew that I couldn't stand Billups. He was more of an over-sized bully than a true NBA point guard, and he didn't or couldn't defend for ish!

November 3rd, 2008, 5:49 pm

Rob_Shadows

3rd Round Selection

Joined: December 25th, 2005, 6:19 amPosts: 1188

I've seen some rumors saying that Dice doesn't want to play for Denver and may be waved, if he does they say he'll wait his 30 days and come back to Detroit. Making the trade esentially AI for Chauncey. IMO this move was made to help our push THIS season while building for the future, Idk if I see us trying to bring back AI as I think the Pistons believe Stuckey is the future for us at the PG position. Should be interesting to see how things go this offseason.

November 3rd, 2008, 7:12 pm

theAlphaMale

Site Admin

Joined: August 6th, 2004, 1:25 amPosts: 4920Location: Hills of Auburn

This is what I was thinking when I heard about the trade...I love some of the quotes from this article about Joe D...

Joe Dumars had the chance to consider Dallas’ Jason Kidd and his expiring contract over the summer, a league executive said Monday, but the Detroit Pistons president had bigger, bolder ideas. Allen Iverson still gives the Pistons a puncher’s chance in the Eastern Conference this season, but this trade isn’t about him. It isn’t about Chauncey Billups.

Think bigger.

Think bolder.

Think LeBron James, 2010.

The Pistons president doesn’t just have the salary cap space for the Cleveland Cavaliers star. He also has the connections and the championship credibility. Make no mistake: Detroit and Dumars are officially in hot pursuit of James – maybe even the favorite now – and it promises to be a long, agonizing two years for the Cavaliers.

Detroit doesn’t deliver the bright lights and global metropolis destination that James wants when he opts out of his contract in 2010, but two more years of watching Kobe Bryant win titles could transform his priorities. James wants badly to be considered the best player on the planet and that won’t happen until he’s a champion.

James wants a front office with a vision that honors his greatness, and make no mistake: This makes Detroit and Dumars so dangerous, makes them Cleveland’s worst nightmare. The city could justify losing its prodigal son to New York or Los Angeles, but nearby Detroit?

Cleveland would never recover.

So why Iverson over a possible package for Kidd? Several league executives know exactly why: The trade with Denver to make an unhappy Iverson happier just further imbeds the Detroit franchise deeper into James’ agent, Leon Rose, and advisor, William Wesley. Just as they represent James, they rep Iverson.

And as much as anyone, “World Wide” Wes is one of the most important voices in Lebron’s life. Wesley lives in Detroit, where one of Rose’s clients, Richard Hamilton, is a Pistons star. What’s more, Dumars is close to an agreement with Hamilton on a two-year extension that will keep him through 2012, sources say. This is a terrific show of faith for Hamilton, who is trying to recoup hundreds of thousands of dollars that a business manager allegedly stole from him.

Wesley comes and goes at the Palace of Auburn Hills as he pleases, and few have such a window into the winning culture of the Pistons.

As one rival GM said Monday, “Damn it, I am afraid Joe has this whole thing wired. He’s got everything in place to pull this off.”

The New Jersey Nets’ move to Brooklyn is falling apart, and so is owner Bruce Ratner’s chances of using limited partner, Jay-Z, to lure James. The Knicks will be a factor, but the bumbling of the Stephon Marbury mess has reflected horribly on the organization. The Knicks have an owner, GM and coach with differing agendas and they’ve made an initial poor impression. Detroit can’t compete with New York as the global city to market James, but winning could take care of everything.

With Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni as GM and coach, the Knicks can still get their act together. Yet, no one will ever need to ask that of Dumars. No one else can sell James on a winning culture as compellingly as Dumars. He had gone as far as he could with Billups, who has three years and $36 million left on his contract. Billups gave the Pistons a slight edge over Iverson to make another run this season, but Dumars had already gotten a final run out of him a year ago. Detroit won a title, reached a Game 7 of the NBA Finals and six straight Eastern Conference finals with Billups.

Now, Billups is 32 years old. He’s declining. This is a low-risk, short-term, high-reward, long-term play for Dumars.

The Pistons president believes that the young guard Rodney Stuckey, a brilliant pick out of Eastern Washington, can take over the Pistons next year. Iverson and Rasheed Wallace could leave the payroll this summer, and the Pistons will be $22 million under the salary cap in 2009. They will have a core of Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Stuckey, Jason Maxiell and Amir Johnson in 2010. No one else among James’ serious suitors with cap space has two All-Stars (Hamilton and Prince) and a potential third (Stuckey) for him to join.

Most of all, James knows he’d have Dumars to give him the right coach, the right teammates, the right atmosphere to chase championships for a long, long time. What makes this plan so ingenious is that the bridge from Iverson to Stuckey, from Wallace to Maxiell, makes it possible for the Pistons to reconstruct themselves without bottoming out. They’ll still be a 50-win team. Dumars hates the idea of rebuilding through the lottery, and that won’t need to happen here. He won’t be offering James a heap of ashes in 2010, but a good team needing him to complete its greatness.

For the flawed franchises falling over themselves to get under the salary cap for 2010, the most ingenious plan promises to start out of the NBA’s brightest executive mind. Joe Dumars is thinking big. He’s thinking bold. This will be an agonizing two years in Cleveland.

_________________Regards, Alpha|Lionbacker.com \(^o^)/"I date this girl for two years and then the nagging starts: I wanna know your name..." - Mike Binder

November 3rd, 2008, 8:59 pm

Yzermanx3

Walk On

Joined: April 5th, 2006, 5:04 pmPosts: 400Location: Rosebush Michigan

Well I'm pretty sure Hamilton signed a 3 year extention. Joie D is plain and simply the best.

And second I would like to commend Chancey and what he did for this franchise. I wont deny his skills may be on the downside but he brought so much to this team for so long. Mr. Big Shot will be missed.

I almost got tears flowing when FSN had a (Where ___ Happens) comercial about Chancey/Iverson which lead to showing Garnett's Jersey and what he accomplished last year. GREAT STUFF NBA!!!

I'll add this point. While making the blockbuster deals can be huge. (Sheed in 04) (Hossa so far in 08) I cant forget what happend to the Tigs this year.

If only the lions could have compitent personal run there organization...

_________________waiting for 2010 season.....

November 4th, 2008, 1:20 am

LionsFan4Life

Fired Head Coach (0-16 record)

Joined: October 30th, 2004, 12:30 pmPosts: 2205Location: Austin, TX

I heard that Hamilton signed a 3yr extension as well. I liked Billups, but really.. Stuckey was going to be taking over for him soon anyways. I am going to love to see how this all plays out for us.

_________________

NEVER GIVE UP!

November 4th, 2008, 8:28 am

Yzermanx3

Walk On

Joined: April 5th, 2006, 5:04 pmPosts: 400Location: Rosebush Michigan

Pistons play NJ tonight. Cant wait to watch to watch Iverson. My guess is he will come off the bench halfway through the first. MC has been really consistent with his handling of the players minutes so far.